Love Will Find a Way
by amerylca
Summary: When Jane Adler traveled from California to New York for her son's college graduation, she was expecting to find a few days of solitude and faking smiles toward her ex-husband and his new wife. She never expected to meet someone like Sam Carmichael. Jane and Sam find companionship in each other at their loneliest time, but what will happen when Jane is forced to go back home?
1. Chapter 1

Jane Adler stepped out of her taxi and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting her face soak up the little bit of sun that was to be offered despite the gigantic buildings of the city. New York. The last time she was in the big apple, it was to see her son Luke off to college. Here she was again 4 years later with her daughters Gabby and Lauren, as well as her soon to be son-in-law Harley, to see Luke graduate. She opened her eyes and looked up at The Park Regent Hotel, their home away from home for the next few days, and cringed as she remembered that her ex-husband Jake, his new wife, and her child were going to be staying in the same hotel. These thoughts were swept away though, when she saw her son running up the busy sideway toward her and his siblings.

"Luuuke!" Gabby and Lauren yelled, running into their little brother's arms, Harley and Jane not too far behind. Jane hugged him tightly in her arms, realizing just how much she missed her youngest child and silently thanking God that he would be returning to the West Coast with them in a few short days.

Jane's children chattered restlessly as they grabbed their luggage and made their way into the hotel. Jane quickly checked in, innocently inquiring as to whether or not the "other Adler's" had checked in yet, which they hadn't. When she turned around, she found four sets of pleading eyes looking at her. She had been a mother long enough to know what that look meant. They needed money.

Luke spoke first. "Mom, we're going to have a party tonight…"

"And…?" Jane asked inquisitively.

"And… we'd love your credit card," Gabby answered.

Jane just rolled her eyes and handed it over. "That's what I thought. Just don't go too crazy, okay?"

"Thanks, Mom!" they chimed in unison, then ran off to their respective rooms to unpack and then get ready to hit the streets of New York.

And there Jane was, alone once more. She walked into the elevator and just as the doors were about to close, a couple walked in. They were probably oblivious to Jane's presence in the small elevator with them, as they were staring into one another's eyes, radiating an aura of love. It made Jane want to hit her face against the wall. When was the last time she was like that with a man? Certainly over 10 years ago… she had barely dated anyone since her divorce from Jake. Even when she did date, she didn't particularly enjoy it. They were all duds, so to speak. She was very convinced that all the normal, good looking, and faithful men her age were already married.

Jane sighed deeply and stepped out of the elevator onto her floor. When she got to her room, she unpacked her things and then let herself fall onto the bed in the middle of the room. Staring up at the ceiling, Jane realized that this is what it would be like from now on. All of her children were leaving the nest, and she was going to be left alone in her big house. No. She had to stop this negative nonsense. She needed a drink.

Jane threw on a maroon cocktail dress, pinned her hair up loosely, and headed downstairs to the hotel bar. It was still pretty early, so there were only a few people here and there. She took a seat at the bar and started to order a light wine, but changed her mind and ordered a martini instead. She needed something to get her mind off of the current state of her life. She was too old to be feeling like this… these were supposed to be the golden years. Whatever.

She easily drank her martini and then ordered another. More and more people were coming into the bar each minute and the atmosphere was slowly changing. Now feeling the slight effects that the alcohol was having on her, Jane allowed herself to loosen slightly and look around the crowded bar. She noticed a dashingly handsome man glancing at her from his seat down at the other end of the bar. She smirked to herself and averted her gaze quickly. She wasn't imagining things, right? He was looking at her? When Jane looked up again, she noticed the man standing up, his gaze still locked firmly on her. Oh shit, was he coming to talk to her?

Jane smiled despite herself as the mystery man took a seat next to her. "Hi, I'm Sam Carmichael," he said with great confidence.

Jane held out her hand to Sam. "Sam… I'm Jane Adler," she said as she watched Sam take her hand and press his warm lips to her knuckles. She blushed deeply, not expecting that.

"Pleased to meet you, Jane. I couldn't help but notice you sitting over here alone. Are you by yourself tonight?" he asked coyly.

"Unfortunately, I am… but I needed a drink so badly that I couldn't help coming down here alone," she admitted.

Sam smiled widely. "Do you mind if I join you, then? I'm alone tonight too. Drinks on me?"

"Be my guest," Jane said coyly. She could feel the butterflies flare up in her stomach just because of his presence beside her. Sam Carmichael oozed charm and confidence – Jane could see that and she'd only known him for about a minute.

Sam ordered them a bottle of wine and then looked over at Jane. "Are you staying here in the hotel?"

"Yeah, I'm here for a few days. My son – my youngest child– is graduating from college tomorrow. I'm here from California," she answered with a proud smile.

Sam nodded. "Wow, all the way from California. What college?"

"NYU," Jane answered.

"Small world! My youngest son is at NYU, but he graduates next year," Sam revealed.

Jane laughed. "How many children do you have?"

"Just two boys, Bryan and James. And also a possible daughter – I kind of act as Godfather to her – I might have to explain that later. It's a long story, trust me. But anyway, Bryan works at a law office here in Manhattan and James is studying engineering at NYU. He lives with his mother in Tribeca," Sam explained.

"You're divorced too, then?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've been divorced – and single – for quite a while. It gets old, but that's how it is."

Jane chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. I've been divorced for ten years and it never really gets easier."

Sam nodded. "Anyway… tell me about yourself. What about your children? How many?"

"I have two daughters, Lauren and Gabby, and my son, Luke. Lauren is getting married in a few months and Gabby just moved into her own apartment in SoCal. Luke is graduating tomorrow, and coming back to Cali next week. I'm beginning to feel very alone," Jane said with a light laugh.

"Oh, I know exactly how you feel. I don't know where the time has gone… I have two grown children. I don't feel old enough to have two grown children," Sam exclaimed as Jane nodded in agreement. "Hey, the bar's getting kind of crowded. Would you like to grab a table with me?" he asked.

"That sounds great," Jane said, really enjoying her and Sam's conversation. They informed the bartender that they were moving, and found a corner booth where things were a bit quieter and where they could keep talking.

"So, I'm guessing that you live in New York, and you're not just at the hotel for the night," Jane inquired.

"That would be correct. I was actually here for a business meeting. I decided to grab a drink afterward, and then I saw the most gorgeous woman and just had to go talk to her," he flirted.

Jane blushed and smiled, but ignored his blatant attempt at flirting with her. The sight of him sitting next to her smirking and winking stirred feelings inside of her that she hadn't felt in a long while. She was frightened, but also deeply excited by it all. "What kind of business? What do you do, I mean?"

"I'm an architect. I was meeting with some possible clients. Boring stuff, you know. And what do you do, Ms. Adler?" Sam asked, admiring the way Jane's blonde curls fell on her shoulders. He wasn't just being coy, she really was an incredibly gorgeous woman. She had the warmest smile, the most impressive cheek bones, and her skin had a wonderful glow.

Jane laughed. "I own and run a bakery back in Santa Barbara. It takes up a great deal of my time. Sometimes I wish I would have never even opened it, but it's very rewarding. It makes me happy usually." Jane looked up and immediately spotted Jake and Agnes standing near the entrance of the bar. "Oh, shit," she said as she ducked down slightly.

"What's the matter, Jane?" Sam asked, looking around to find out what or who she had seen.

Jane rolled her eyes. "My ex-husband and his wife just walked in. I don't have a real problem with them, I just don't want them to see me… they'll try to talk to us or sit with us or something. They don't know what privacy is."

Sam laughed at her actions and quickly tried to think of a solution for her problem. "Are you hungry, Jane? I know a great place two blocks down."

She smiled slightly and hesitated. She just met this man, what was she thinking? Could she even trust him? Did she even care? "That sounds wonderful. Just get me away from them."

They watched Jake and Agnes make their way over to the bar and then Sam grabbed Jane's hand and quickly led her out of the hotel and into the New York night. Jane laughed heartily at the thought of what they had just done – she felt sneaky. Jane didn't mind being hand in hand with Sam as they walked down the street. In fact, she leaned into his hold, using his body to steady herself over the dizzying effects of all of the alcohol she had consumed. She could smell his cologne; it was wonderful. Sam led them into a quaint restaurant that was several blocks away from Jane's hotel. It was much quieter there than in the hotel bar, despite there still being a lot of people.

Jane fixed her windblown hair as Sam found them a table near the window and got the attention of one of the passing waitresses. They were handed menus and their drink orders were taken, both ordering from the wine list. Jane ordered a salad, not finding anything on the menu that intrigued her taste buds, and Sam ordered a fresh sub sandwich…

"Thanks for getting me out of there, Sam. I just wasn't very much in the mood for their dry rambling tonight. I'd much rather talk to you," Jane said. "And not to mention the non-stop questions that would certainly get fired at me if Jake saw me having a drink with such an attractive stranger on the eve of our son's graduation."

"The pleasure's all mine," Sam replied, smiling cheekily. "I was quite hungry anyway. How's your salad?"

Jane nodded. "It's very good. So… tell me about this possible-ish maybe daughter of yours. You've got me curious now, Mr. Carmichael."

Sam thought about how to explain the situation to a woman that he was interested in without it seeming too weird – which it was, no doubt. "Umm… well, when I was a young guy, I got engaged to the woman who would later become the mother of my children – Lorraine. We lived just outside of New York City at the time, and I got commissioned for some business stuff overseas all over Europe. One night in Paris, I went to this really great nightclub with a live band – Donna and the Dynamos – they were wonderful, but I got really enthralled by the lead singer and decided to strike up a conversation with her. Long story short, I followed Donna and her two crazy Dynamos to Greece, where she lived, and I fell completely and totally in love with her. I know it sounds really bad, but I couldn't help it. It felt so right. I couldn't think about Lorraine; all I could see was Donna. We had one night of passion, and then I had to tell her that I had to leave – I was engaged to someone else. By the time I got back to New York, I realized what a huge mistake I had made by leaving her, so I called off my engagement and flew back to Greece. Only, it was too late then, because I found out that the love of my life was off with some rebound guy."

Jane frowned. "Oh Sam, that's awful."

He smiled to reassure her. "I came back to New York and for some reason, Lorraine took me back and married me. Bryan and James came later, and I'm so thankful for them, but things were never quite right with mine and Lorraine's marriage. We got divorced about 15 years later."

"So when does the daughter come in?" Jane asked with her brow furrowed.

"A couple of years ago, I got a letter from Donna in the mail inviting me to her daughter's wedding. The possibility of the child being mine never even crossed my mind. I just thought that Donna might want to see me again – and I was a free man, so I went for it. I had nothing to lose," he explained.

"And she introduced you to your daughter when you got there? Oh gosh…"

"Well, not quite. As it turns out, Donna wasn't even the one who sent the invite. She had no idea that I was even coming. She was pretty pissed to find me there actually," he said.

"Oh no… so that means…" Jane was enthralled.

"Yep. It was Sophie. Sophie sent the invite. And I wasn't the only man to receive one either. Bill and Harry, Donna's rebound guys, also showed up!"

Jane's mouth fell opened. "Are you joking?!"

He laughed at the thought of how ridiculous this all must seem to Jane. "Not in the slightest. So long story short, the guys and I eventually figured out what was going on and it didn't take us long to calculate Sophie's age with the time period that we were with Donna."

"That's absolutely crazy. So how did you find out that Sophie was yours?"

Sam chuckled again. "I didn't. She didn't want to know. Bill, Harry, and I all grew kind of attached to her… and she liked the idea of having three dads better than the idea of having one. So we all agreed to keep it a mystery. She might be mine, but there's just as much a chance that she's Bill's or Harry's."

"Wow. Doesn't it drive you crazy not knowing?" Jane asked, bewildered.

"Not really," Sam said laughing. "It works out pretty nicely, as weird as it all sounds."

Jane sat on this new information for a moment. "So, did anything else happen with Donna, if you don't mind me asking about it? You seemed pretty hung up on her."

"Funnily enough, she was engaged to be married when we all arrived. So imagine her surprise when three of her old lovers showed up on her little island for her daughter's wedding. She was livid, poor woman. We talked things over and left it at that. She seemed extremely happy with her fiancé. I could tell they loved each other very much," Sam reflected.

"Weren't you disappointed?" Jane asked.

"At first I was, but then I realized that after 21 years apart, it was probably best not to even try to rekindle anything with her. We just left the past in the past."

"At least you got some closure," Jane said. "That's a wild story, Sam. I've never heard anything quite like that. I'm glad it all worked out. It had the potential to get pretty messy."

Sam laughed heartily. "That's for sure… So, I still see Sophie on holidays and stuff like that. She married a boy named Sky and they're actually expecting a baby at the end of the summer – a girl."

Jane placed a hand over her heart. "Oh, that's wonderful! You'll be a grandfather!"

He smiled widely. "I know! I can't wait to meet my sweet little granddaughter."

"I'm so looking forward to becoming a grandmother one day. My friend Joanne says that it's the most wonderful thing," Jane said, smiling at the mention of one of her girlfriends.

Sam and Jane sat in that café for the next hour and a half, talking, flirting, and just getting to know one another. Neither of them could remember a time when they felt so comfortable around someone that they were actually interested in.

"Sam," Jane spoke, "I swear I could sit at this table and talk to you all night long, but I have to be up fairly early in the morning. It's going to be a big day and I need to get some sleep."

Smiling regretfully, Sam said, "That's alright, darling. I have an early start tomorrow too. Come on, I'll walk you back to your hotel."

Having already settled the bill, Jane followed Sam once again out into the streets of New York. The air was cooler than it was when they left the hotel, but it wasn't unbearable. Sam extended his bent arm to Jane, and she gently placed her hand on it as he escorted her back to her hotel. They were blanketed with silence, but they were content nonetheless.

The pair stopped walking when they reached the door of the Park Regent Hotel. "Jane, thank you very much for spending the evening with me. I really enjoyed getting to know you. I've known you for a very short time, but I can already see what an extraordinary woman you are," Sam gushed. He watched Jane's face blush fervently and he took one of her hands in his own.

"You have no idea how much I needed your company tonight, Mr. Carmichael. Thank you for everything," Jane said with a sideways smirk on her face.

"I want to see you again, Jane," Sam said truthfully.

Jane thought about that for a moment. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, Sam… I don't know if-…"

"I don't care how much time we have," Sam interrupted. "I just want to see you again. I need to know that this isn't the last time that I'm going to see your lovely face."

Jane sighed. "Okay. I'm having dinner with my family tomorrow after Luke's graduation… then I'm free to do whatever you want to."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Whatever I want to do, eh?"

Jane laughed and hit him in the chest. "Within reason, Mr. Carmichael. Be in the lobby at 7 if you want to see me."

Sam reached into his pocket and took out one of his business cards. "This has my work, home, and cell numbers on it. Call me if you need anything… or if you just want to talk, okay?"

Jane took his card and smiled. "Okay. I have to go, Sam. Seriously."

"Right… Well, good night, Beauty," said Sam. Jane watched him lean toward her and place a tender and polite kiss on her blushing cheek.

Jane sighed at the feeling. "Good night, Sam Carmichael. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, she turned away from him and walked into the hotel. When she got into the elevator and turned around, she saw him still standing there watching her until finally, the elevator doors slid shut and lifted her to her floor.

Neither of them got much sleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane woke up the next morning to the sound of heavy traffic outside her hotel window. There were some things about the city of New York that she would never be able to get used to. She sat up in bed and immediately felt her head pounding. The mixture of too much alcohol and not enough sleep was coming back to bite her in the butt. She found a bottle of pain relievers in her purse and took a couple of them, hoping that her head would stop hurting before Luke's graduation later that day. Jane took a long shower and then got dressed in something very business-like and then fixed her hair and applied some light make-up. Without her being very consciously aware of it, Sam Carmichael had been on her mind since she woke up.

When Jane was done getting ready, she still had some time before she needed to meet the kids and leave the hotel, so she decided to go downstairs and get some breakfast. She found herself a table near the window and ordered some French toast and a grapefruit. She sipped some orange juice while she waited and decided to turn on her cell phone to see if she had any missed calls or messages. While rummaging through her large purse for her phone, Jane came across the business card that Sam had handed her the night before with his phone numbers on it. She stared at it for a second and smiled… she thought about texting him just to let him know she was thinking about him. Would that make her look too clingy or desperate? Oh, God… she felt like a child thinking about things like that. She turned on her phone and sent him a text message before she could talk herself out of it… she was just texting him so that he would have her number in his phone… in case he needed to call her… right?

"_Good morning, Mr. Carmichael. I'm feeling rather hung over this morning… for some reason, I couldn't sleep last night. –Jane"_

A waiter brought Jane her food and she began eating as she waited for a reply from Sam and responded to a few missed texts from her girlfriends back home. Jane suddenly heard and unexpected voice from behind her. "Morning, Janey. What's up?" It was Jake, of course.

She cringed slightly at him calling her that nickname, but greeted him with a smile despite that and the ill way she was currently feeling. "Good morning, Jake. How are you?"

He helped himself to the seat across from Jane, not asking if it was okay for him to sit there or if she was expecting anyone else. "Oh, I'm fine… despite our flight getting delayed yesterday and Pedro getting sick last night."

"Oh, poor Pedro. How is he doing this morning?" she asked, truly concerned.

"He's still got a fever and throwing up every hour or so. Agnes is probably going to have to stay with him today and miss the graduation," Jake explained.

"Oh, that's too bad," Jane said with just a hint of sarcasm.

Jake laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure you're just devastated."

Jane felt her phone buzz on the table which scared her a bit. She snatched her phone off of the table so that she could read what was hopefully a message from Sam. She opened it, smiling when she saw it was from him. _"Good morning, gorgeous. I just got to the office. I didn't get much sleep either… there was too much on my mind. :) Hope we're still on for tonight. –Sam"_

Jake shook his head when he saw Jane smiling like an idiot at her phone. "Is that a message from that Mr. Tall-dark-and-handsome that I saw you with last night?"

Jane's expression changed instantly and she jerked her head up from her phone to look Jake in the eye. "What are you talking about?"

Jake just looked at her knowingly. "Don't act dumb, Janey. I saw you with a guy last night. I came down to the bar with Agnes after Pedro fell asleep and as soon as I walked in, I saw you in a corner booth with some slime-ball. I walked to the back of the bar and grabbed a drink and when I turned around both of you were mysteriously gone. Who was that guy, Janey?"

Shit. She'd been spotted. And now she was mad at Jake for bringing it up. "As if that's any of your business… his name is Sam and I met him here last night."

Jake's mouth dropped opened. "You just met this guy _last night_? Where did you go with him after you left the bar?"

Jane rolled her eyes at Jake acting like he was her father or something. "I took him back up to my room."

"Jane Adler!" he scolded.

"I'm kidding, you ass. He took me to a little café a couple blocks away from the hotel. I asked him to because I knew if you saw us together, you would never leave us alone," she explained.

Jake cocked his head to the side. "You went on a _date_ with someone you just met?"

"I wasn't a date!" She said defensively. "You know what, just stay out of it. It's none of your business what I do with my free time. You're not my father… or my husband, okay?"

"Hey, there's no need to get defensive, Janey. I'm just trying to look out for you… as the mother of my children," Jake retorted.

Jane took a calming breath. "Okay… but I really don't think I need you to look out for me, Jake. I'm a big girl – I can handle my own affairs. Did I try to look out for you when you started seeing Agnes?" Jane thought about her last statement and shook her head.

Jake laughed. "Anyway… I'm gonna go finish getting ready," he said as he rose from his seat across from Jane. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay… and don't you dare tell the kids about this, Jacob Adler. I'm serious."

After Jane was sure that Jake was gone, she took out her phone again to reply to Sam's earlier message. _"We are definitely still on for tonight. Remind me to tell you about something that happened this morning. You won't believe it. Haha. –Jane "_

As Jane was finishing her breakfast, she got a reply from Sam. _"Alright… looking forward to it! Have fun at Luke's graduation. Try not to cry too much. Remember: it's not an ending, it's a beginning. :) –Sam"_

Jane just smiled and put her phone back in her purse as she stood up from her table and walked out into the lobby of the hotel. She saw Lauren and Harley sitting together in the lobby. "Good morning, you two. Did you have fun at the party last night?" Jane asked.

Lauren smiled at her mother. "Yeah, we had loads of fun. We didn't get much sleep, though… we stayed up half the night."

Jane nodded. "I'm feeling a little tired too. If we can just make it through this day, we'll be alright. Are you two dressed and ready to go?"

Lauren shrugged. "Yeah, we're ready. We're just waiting on the rest of the gang now."

Jane nodded. "Well, I saw your father this morning and he says that Agnes and Pedro won't be joining us because Pedro is sick."

"Oh, that's too bad," Harley said.

Jane giggled. "Those were my exact words."

They were eventually joined by Gabby, Luke, and Jake. They hailed two separate taxis and arrived fairly early to the ceremony. Luke went to join his graduating class and get ready for the ceremony while the rest of the family went to find seats before they became scarce. The family was chatting amongst themselves when they heard the processional music begin to play. Jane's heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw her sweet baby boy walk out and take his seat. She and the rest of the family shouted and cheered when he walked across the stage to get his diploma and shake the hand of the president of the college. Jane sobbed like a baby when Luke looked over at his family with pride and smiled from ear to ear. The graduations of her children were some of the proudest and most memorable moments of her life. Jane shared a brief moment with Jake during the ceremony, both looking at each other lovingly because of the successful man that they had created and raised together.

When the graduation was over and the family had reunited with Luke, they made their way to a restaurant to have a meal together. When they were all eating, Gabby mentioned how nice it was to have a meal with just her siblings and her mother and father for once (plus her future brother-in-law) without Agnes and Pedro. That got Jake acting all sentimental, thanking Jane for raising the kids into such wonderful adults with barely any help from him – she just rolled her eyes at the sudden sign of appreciation after years of nothing from him. He even tried to hold Jane's hand at one point in the afternoon and she quickly rejected his touch and gave him a warning look before carrying on with her meal.

They all arrived back at the Park Regent Hotel around 5pm and all of Jane's children were excited to run up to their rooms and get changed and ready to go to a big graduation party at the apartment of Luke's best friend. Jane knew that she probably wouldn't see them again that day, and once Jake had gone up to his room to see Agnes, she was alone once again.

Sam was going to be meeting her in the hotel lobby in two hours, so Jane made use of her time by going to her hotel room and taking a shower before her night out. She wasn't very sure what she would be doing or where Sam would be taking her, so she just threw on a casual navy blue dress that somehow looked effortlessly elegant on her. Her hair was down, loose curls sitting on her shoulders. She felt good and she looked good.

Jane grabbed her purse and walked out into the hallway and to the elevator that was on her hall. When the elevator doors opened for Jane to get in, Jake Adler was standing inside with the usual smug grin plastered on his face. Why, of all the people in this damned hotel, did Jake have to be the one to be in that elevator?

Jake looked his ex-wife up and down. "Good evening, Ms. Adler. You look ravishing. May I inquire as to where you're headed?" he said, already knowing the answer to his own question.

Jane smiled at his compliment, but shook her head at his persistence. "No, you may not inquire as to where I'm headed because, to be quite frank, that's none of your business," she said as the elevator doors closed and they began their descent to the lobby.

Jake laughed. "Date with Mr. Handsome?"

Jane didn't reply, just pretended to ignore him, as she rummaged through her purse to check her phone. Jake knew he was right anyway, and didn't need any confirmation. When the elevator opened at the lobby, both of the Adlers stepped out and Jake went to the front desk to get whatever he came down for, and Jane took a seat to wait for Sam. Jake didn't bother trying to talk to Jane again, he just grinned smugly in her direction and then went back up to his room.

It was still early, not quite 7 o'clock yet, but Jane smiled widely when she saw Sam walk into the hotel just as early as she was. He was dressed nicely in a pair of black slacks and a crisp white shirt underneath a black blazer jacket. The top two buttons of his shirt were left opened and his tan, slightly hairy chest was partially visible. Jake had gotten the 'Mr. Handsome' part right – Sam was the epitome of handsome. Jane stood to greet him.

Sam immediately opened his arms wide to give Jane a hug. "Jane darling, you look amazing," he said as he ran his hands from her shoulders, down her arms, and to her own hands were he brought one of them up to meet his warm lips.

Jane was all smiles. "Thank you. You look rather dashing as well. I didn't know how to dress because I didn't know where you were going to be taking me tonight. Is this dress alright?" she asked, spinning around to model her dress.

"That dress is very alright," he said, taking in the sight of her. What a vision she was! "Tonight, we'll be dining at Asiate on Columbus Circle. I think you'll be very pleased, as long as you like Asian food."

"That sounds wonderful! Lead the way," Jane said. Sam held out his hand to her and she gladly accepted it.

Sam led Jane down the sidewalk. "The restaurant is in walking distance, so I don't think we should bother with a cab."

"That's perfectly fine – the weather is so nice tonight that it would be a pity not to enjoy it," Jane replied.

They walked with a leisurely pace, not in a hurry to get anywhere, and Sam talked about some of the buildings and places that they were passing along their way. He kept cracking jokes and at one point had Jane nearly doubled over in a fit of laughter.

When they reached the restaurant, which was on the sixth floor of a building that doubled as a hotel, the host greeted Sam warmly. "Mr. Carmichael, how are you this evening?"

"I'm doing very well, thank you. Would you make sure that my date and I get a table with a view, please?" he asked

The man smiled at Jane and then nodded to Sam. "Yes sir. We already have the best seat in the house reserved for you. Follow me, please." Sam and Jane, with their hands still interlocked and with Sam walking proudly because of the heads that the lovely woman that he was with was turning, followed the man to their table.

The table was beside a huge window which overlooked Columbus Circle and the lower part of Central Park. Jane was in awe of it all as Sam pulled out her seat for her and then sat across from her. She'd never seen the city like this before – most of her time in New York had been spent on the ground or in hotel rooms with views of other skyscrapers that were beside it. This place really made her look at the city in a new light.

"Sam, this is amazing. I've never seen anything like this in all my life. This city is full of little treasures, isn't it?" she said.

"I've lived here for the better part of my life and I still haven't seen everything that this city has to offer. It's so full of everything that even native New Yorkers can't take it all in. It's exciting, isn't it?" he said. Jane nodded at him. He had an idea. "Have you ever been to Central Park?"

Jane shrugged. "I walked through it quickly when I was here last time – I've never really had enough time to stop and enjoy it."

"Well then, that's where we'll go after we eat," he said matter-of-factly. Jane thought that sounded like a marvelous idea. They ordered a bottle of wine and after the waiter came and took their food order, Sam remembered something. "Oh, Jane… you told me earlier to remind you to tell me something."

Jane laughed. "Oh yes… this morning, I learned that we were spotted leaving the hotel last night. Jake apparently saw us together as soon as he walked into the bar, and he was going to come talk to us – like I expected that he would – but when he went to get a drink and then turned around, we were already gone." Jane thought the whole thing was extremely funny. She could only imagine what was going through Jake's mind last night.

Sam laughed. "Oh shit, are we in trouble?" he said sarcastically.

"I think we are… Jake tried to talk to me about it this morning and it was pitiful. He said he was just looking out for me, but I know he's probably just jealous," she said.

"Well, he has good reason to be jealous," Sam said matter-of-factly.

Jane was convinced that Sam tried his hardest to keep her blushing at all times. She wondered if she could make the charming and confident Mr. Carmichael blush. "Yeah, he asked me where we went after we left the bar."

"And what did you tell him?" he asked before taking a sip of his wine.

"I told him that I took you up to my room," Jane said with a smirk.

Sam nearly choked on his wine, not expecting that from her. "Ms. Adler, you filthy liar."

She laughed. "It's alright. I told him I was only joking."

All throughout dinner, Sam tried to figure out why on earth someone could leave a woman like Jane for someone else… especially after 20 years of marriage and 4 children. He was sure that if he had the chance to be with Jane, he would do anything in his power to keep her happy. To him, she looked like the ideal woman. He had yet to find any faults. Then again, he had only known her for two short days. Was it ridiculous to be thinking about his future with her when he barely knew her?

When they were finished eating, Sam paid the waiter and then led Jane out of the restaurant and once again into the streets of New York. Although it was getting late and the sky was getting dark, the city was still bustling and the lights coming from the cars, buildings, and streetlamps made everything visible. Jane grabbed Sam's hand and held it tight as they crossed the street to get to Central Park. The farther they walked into the heart of The Park, the quieter and more serene it got. It felt like they had walked into another world entirely.

Jane leaned into Sam's body and laid her head gently on his shoulder. "So, where are you taking me?"

"Someplace very lovely," he said with a smile. "It'll be a surprise."

"Oh, I like surprises."

They walked with leisure down the winding pathway that led to Sam's intended destination. They passed the ball fields and Sam told Jane a funny story about getting so involved in one of his son's baseball games that he nearly punched the referee. When the pair passed the Giuseppe Mazzini statue, Sam told the story of the time that he 'lost' his youngest son in the park and he searched high and low for him and eventually found him staring up at the statue in awe. Sam eventually led Jane through Wagner Cove and then through a narrow and wooded path.

Sam went behind Jane and placed his hands over her eyes before walking a bit more and then coming to a stop. "I already felt tipsy, and then you took away my ability to see. I can barely stand up!" She was giggling wildly at Sam, who was tickling her without realizing it.

Sam put his lips close to her ear and whispered, "Ready for your surprise?"

Jane's giggling stopped and she inhaled deeply at the feeling of Sam's hot breath on her flesh. "Totally ready," she replied. He dropped his hands from Jane's eyes and let his arms fall around her waist, holding her closely from behind. The most beautiful sight fell upon Jane's eyes. There was a magnificent fountain with an angel at the top of it in the middle of a large courtyard. The whole thing overlooked a large pond and the moonlight along with the trickling sound of the fountain and the sound of crickets making music in the background made the atmosphere seem very magical.

Jane gasped softly, at a loss for words. "Oh, Sam…"

"Jane, this is Bethesda Terrace. That's Bethesda Fountain. And that," he said, pointing to the water, "is The Lake. It's one of my favorite places in all of Central Park because even when there are tons of people around, it's incredibly peaceful and serene. The Lake always looks marvelous – especially when it's full of paddle boats and ducks."

"It's amazing, Sam. Truly. Such a lovely place. Thank you for sharing it with me," she spoke softly.

"I couldn't let you leave this city tomorrow without at least seeing this place first," he said into her ear. He dropped his arms from Jane's waist and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Jane. Let's sit and talk." They walked over to the fountain and sat on the edge. Jane turned to Sam and placed both of her hands on his leg and he placed his hands on top of hers.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow, darling?" Sam asked her.

She tried to fake a slight smile. "Late in the evening… my flight leaves at 7."

He nodded. "Can I see you tomorrow? I'd really like to."

She smiled at his polite demeanor. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot. I'm having dinner with my children and then I'm going to the airport a while after. We could do breakfast or lunch? Or you could go to the airport with me… see me off?"

Sam thought for a moment. "How about all of the above?" he asked with a smile. "I know I'm being greedy with your time, but I'd like to spend as much time with you as possible before you fly across the country… back to your life."

"I'd rather spend my time with you anyway. All of the above sounds wonderful," she replied, nudging him with her elbow.

"Good. We'll make a day of it. I'll show you more of this wonderful city. You'll be in love with the city by tomorrow evening. This, I promise you," he said with conviction.

Jane giggled at the very thought of her falling in love with such a place. "We'll just have to see about that. As gorgeous as this city is, I'm really starting to miss my house on the hill… and my garden in the backyard… and the calm streets of Santa Barbara."

"That sounds like a challenge to me, Adler. Challenge accepted. You'll see."

Sam stood up slowly and extended his hand to Jane. "We have one more place to visit before I take you back."

She accepted his hand and stood up from her place on the edge of the fountain. "Okay, but we'd better hurry if we're going to make it back by curfew," she joked.

Sam threw his head back with a laugh. "Oh, God… is Jake going to be sitting in the lobby with a shotgun in his lap waiting for us?"

Jane cackled wildly at the thought. "God, I hope not!"

Sam took Jane back to the trail in the wooded area, but when he reached a fork in the path, he walked down the one opposite of the one that they walked in from. The trees cleared and a bridge that connected a narrow place in The Lake came into view.

"Is that Bow Bridge?" Jane asked like a child excited for a roller coaster.

Sam chuckled. "Indeed it is. You haven't seen it yet, have you?"

"No, I've never been on Bow Bridge, but I've seen it in films. It's iconic."

"It's even better in person. C'mon," he said, leading her to the very middle of the empty bridge.

Jane looked out over The Lake that was beneath the bridge and took in the bright city skyline that was in front of her. "Sam, this view is impeccable. It's sort of amazing how you can find such peace in a place that is literally surrounded by the hustle and bustle of New York. It's quite symbolic. Mesmerizing, too."

Jane reached into her bag and took out her cell phone. Sam raised an eyebrow. "I want to take a picture of this view so I can look at it after I get home and remember this night." She started taking pictures from different angles, trying to get the perfect photo.

Sam laughed at Jane and gently took her phone out of her hand. She looked over at him confused. "It'll be better if our faces are in the picture, you know?" he said, pressing the button in the corner of the screen that flipped the view to the front camera.

Sam turned around so that the view was behind him and he was leaning against the railing; Jane did the same. Sam draped his arm over her shoulder so they could get closer. Making sure that the skyline was in the background, he snapped a photo of both of them smiling widely. Then he made a funny face with his eyes crossed and his tongue sticking out and snapped a picture with Jane laughing beside him. And for one last photo, he turned to Jane who was still laughing and pressed his obnoxiously puckered lips to her porcelain cheek and snapped the photo.

Sam locked Jane's phone and handed it back to her with a smile. She looked into Sam's eyes longingly for a few moments. Sam Carmichael's eyes did something to her that she couldn't explain. She longed for more than just his lips on her face.

"Sam Carmichael, spending time with you is incredibly fun. I mean, I like you… I really like who and what you are," Jane said, not really knowing what she was saying, only knowing that the words felt right.

Sam placed his hand over Jane's cheek. The place where his lips had been a minute ago. She leaned into his touch slightly, maintaining deep eye contact. "I can only say the same about you, Jane. I've had more fun in these two short days that you know. Talking to you, laughing with you, sight-seeing… you're an amazing woman and I'm so glad that our paths crossed." Sam leaded forward slightly and let his hand fall from Jane's cheek to the side of her neck. His skin was so hot against Jane's. He looked away from her eyes to her flaring nostrils and then to her heaving chest. Despite how much she obviously wanted his lips smashed against hers, Sam leaned in ever so slowly and lightly rubbed the flesh of his lips against Jane's. He pulled away slightly to look at her face. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted, begging for more contact. Sam went for it. He pressed his plump lips to Jane's, adding more pressure this time, but still leaving the atmosphere light. His hand moved from the side of her neck to back of it and his other hand grasped the side of her body. He took a step toward her, closing the small gap between their bodies. Jane's hands found Sam's back. He was sucking softly on her lower lip and before he had the chance to deepen the kiss, a smile broke on Jane's face and she started giggling.

Sam smiled and pulled away to look at her. "What's so funny, beauty?"

"I really don't know… but that was wonderful," she said, talking about their kiss. "You make me feel a silly teenager or something. I haven't been able to act like this in years, Sam," she said shyly.

Sam grabbed her hand and started walking back the way they came. "Well I, for one, am proud of you."

"Oh Yeah?"

"Yeah. You're doing something because you want to. You're calling the shots and you're having a great time, right?" he asked, to which she nodded. "Then that's all that matters. This is good for you."

"I think so too," she said. She was done thinking about right and wrong when it came to her and Sam… she was having fun and enjoying his company and that's what was important.

Sam walked Jane all the way back to her hotel and like the day before, they stopped outside the doors of the lobby before they went their separate ways.

"So, I'll see you sometime early tomorrow for breakfast?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Just text or call a while before to make sure I'm up and ready," she said with a chuckle.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. Then, Sam looked into the window that was beside them, craning his neck and looking all over the place.

"What are you doing, you goofball?" she asked laughing.

He turned back to her. "I was making sure that no one was in the lobby."

"Why though?"

"Because I didn't want to risk your children or your ex-husband seeing me kiss you," he said with a smirk.

"Well, is the coast all clear?" Jane asked.

"Not a soul in sight."

"What are you waiting for then?" she asked, laughing as he pulled her closer to his body and pressed a searing kiss on her waiting lips. He pulled away slowly and then gave her a series of short, quick pecks.

Jane sighed happily and Sam gave her a hug. "Good night, gorgeous. Try to get some rest tonight. Tomorrow should be a lot of fun. If I'm going to get you to fall in love with this city, we have a lot of work to do."

Jane laughed and shook her head. "Good night, Sam. See you in the morning."

He placed one last kiss on her knuckles and watched her as she walked to the elevator. Their date had gone a little different than he had expected it to, but he was very thankful that it had. Jane was so intoxicating in every way. The thought of her leaving made him uneasy, but at least they had tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Sam woke up early the next morning with a melancholy feeling in his heart, but with a determined and vibrant attitude. This was Jane's last day in New York, and he was determined to make it a great day for her. He knew that no matter what he did, as long as he was in Jane's company, he would have a good time. She was such a fun and lively person. Sam had an amazing time getting to know her over the course of two short days, and was already so aware of what a wonderful woman she was and what a warm spirit she had.

Looking forward to the day ahead of him, he jumped right out of his bed and the comfort of the satin sheets to take a shower and get dressed. After he was out of the shower, he decided to call Jane to make sure that she was awake and getting ready to go.

Jane answered her phone with a sweet, "Hello?"

"Ah, good morning, Ms. Adler. This is your wakeup call," he replied, smiling.

"Good morning, Mr. Carmichael. I've been awake for quite a while now. I just got out of the shower."

"Oh, great! I just got out of the shower too. Do you think you could be ready in about an hour? I'm almost ready and then I'll be on my way," he said.

"Absolutely. That'll give me enough time to get some packing done so I don't have to do it all tonight," Jane replied.

"Wonderful. I'll see you soon then, beauty," Sam said as he sprayed himself lightly with cologne.

Jane smiled, loving how he was always trying to boost her ego. "See ya."

Sam had been up for most of the night trying to decide where he was going to take Jane the next day, wanting to make sure that her last day in the city was as great as possible. He was sure that Jane would be thrilled with his choices for the day. He hoped so, anyway.

Sam walked out of his building and grabbed a taxi, and when he was close to the Park Regent, he sent Jane a quick text to let her know that he was almost there. When he walked into the hotel lobby, Jane was coming out of one of the elevators. She was looking as gorgeous as ever. Sam thought it was amazing that she could look relaxed and casual but elegant at the same time. Her face lit up with a smile when she saw Sam waiting on her, making his heart lift. He wrapped his arms around her as soon as she was close enough, and he breathed in her sweet scent as he hugged her.

"Jane, you're looking gorgeous this morning. Did you sleep well?" Sam said as he took her hand and walked toward the door.

"Thank you! And I did sleep well, thank goodness."

Sam smiled and nodded. "Well, that's a good thing because I have a rather busy day planned for us. I wouldn't want to be dragging you around totally exhausted." He quickly hailed a cab in the front of the hotel and held the door opened for Jane to climb in first. Sam told the driver to take them to the corner of 5th Avenue and 105th Street.

Jane giggled. "It wouldn't do me any good to ask where we're going to be going today would it?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Absolutely not. I love seeing your face when you're surprised by something," Sam said, gazing into Jane's eyes. "But I can tell you, though, that right now we're going to get some breakfast."

"You try very hard to be mysterious. Did you know that, Sam?" Jane said with a smirk on her lips.

Sam laughed at this observation. "I don't think I do it on purpose."

Jane just nodded knowingly. "It's quite alright darling. Mystery becomes you, I think."

Sam thought about it for a moment. "You know, I'm self-conscious about it now."

"Oh dear, I've made the ever-confident Sam Carmichael self-conscious. Now I've seen it all," Jane said feigning a shocked impression.

Sam poked his bottom lip out in a pout and folded his arms over his chest. Jane laughed at him acting like a child. He could be such a goof. She grabbed his chin, turning his face toward hers, and gave him a sweet kiss, his pouting bottom lip slipping slightly between her own lips. That certainly turned Sam's frown into a smile.

They got out of the taxi and walked a few blocks to a bakery that had wonderful pastries and coffee. It made Jane smile, thinking of her bakery back in Pasadena. After they got their food, they walked across the street and stopped in front of the Vanderbilt Gate that led into a park of Central Park.

"I brought you this far uptown with the sole purpose of showing you this place. I wanted to bring you here last night, but it would have taken us an hour to walk from the other end of The Park," Sam explained to Jane as she took a bite out of her croissant. She nodded in understanding as she chewed.

Sam opened the elaborate gate and led the way into what is known as the Conservatory Garden. Jane's eyes were met with a lush green lawn with a large fountain at the opposite end. The path that they were walking on forked out left and right, pointing to marvelous terraces covered in bright pink flowers of all sorts. Along the edges of the lawn were stout trees that gave shade to the path.

"Sam, this place is gorgeous!" Jane exclaimed once she had absorbed it all.

"It's one of my favorite places. A lot of people don't even know it's here – it's a bit of a hidden treasure," Sam said.

"This city seems to have a lot of hidden treasures," Jane swooned, looking up at Sam's smiling face.

The pair took a seat on a bench under the shade of a white crabapple tree, where they finished their breakfast and sipped their coffee.

"So what are your children doing today since they're not with you?" Sam asked.

"Shopping, I think. They're certainly making the most of their time in the city. I think they're going out for drinks after dinner… they were going to let me go to the airport all by myself. I'm glad that I have you to see me off tonight," Jane said.

Sam chuckled. "My boys are the same way. They're barely ever home – always looking for something to do and making plans to see people when they could be spending time with their father."

Jane laughed and nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. There was a time when the kids were younger that she would be thankful for days when all her children would be out doing something fun instead of bothering her. That meant that she had time to relax or clean up after them without having them in the way. Now that they were all grown, though, she cherished every moment that she had with them because she didn't get to see them as often.

"Has Jake tried to interrogate you about last night yet?" Sam asked with a snicker.

Jane laughed at the question. "No… but that's only because I haven't seen him since just before we left yesterday. He was very aware that you were taking me out, though, so I'm sure he'll try to give me the third degree later."

Sam shook his head as they both stood up to exit the garden. "I hate that you have to put up with that just because we've started seeing each other."

Something about that sentence took Jane aback. "It's no problem. I can handle Jake," she said with a smile, then she swallowed and took a breath. "Sam, is that what we are? Are we 'seeing each other'? Like dating?"

Sam stopped walking and turned to face Jane, taking her hands in his. "Jane, I'm not quite sure what we are exactly because of how fast this is all going – which isn't a bad thing at all." Sam saw Jane's eyebrows raise in slight confusion. "Look, darling… I enjoy being with you very much. You're an amazing person and I know for a fact that I want to keep seeing you even after you fly back to your home on the other side of the country. If that means that we're dating, then we're dating. Okay?" Sam said with determination.

A huge smile lit Jane's face up. She loved how straightforward Sam could be. "Okay."

Sam nodded and then gave Jane a quick peck on her lips before he dropped one of her hands and continued their walk back to the street. "So when I finally meet your children, you can introduce me as your boyfriend," he suggested coyly.

Jane's eyes widened. "Oh, gosh… I haven't even thought about telling the kids about this. I'll have to figure it out, I suppose."

Sam hailed another cab when they reached the sidewalk outside the gardens, and instructed the driver to take them to the corner of 5th Avenue and 34th Street.

"And where might we be going now?" Jane asked, batting her eyelashes.

"We're going to visit a very old and famous landmark. I think you'll enjoy it a lot."

Jane accepted that he wasn't going to tell her anything else about their destination, so she quickly changed the subject and they chatted as they waited for the taxi to maneuver through the heavy 5th Avenue traffic. They finally got out of the taxi at the corner of 5th and 34th and it didn't look like much of anything until they approached a building and Jane saw the golden signs on the doors.

"The Empire State Building?" she asked skeptically.

"Indeed. Most people consider it the best view in the entire city," Sam gushed.

Jane gulped as a man in a suit opened the door and Sam led her inside to the lobby of the building. She gripped Sam's hand tightly. "So uhh… we're going to the top of this thing?"

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "Well, not the very top… just the 86th floor. That's where the open-air observatory is," he explained, then noticing how uneasy Jane looked. "Are you alright, beauty?"

She bit nervously at the inside of her lip. "Yeah, it's just that… I'm _really_ freaking terrified of heights."

"So am I," Sam said. "But I swear it doesn't feel like you're up that high. There's a concrete wall that's like 3 feet high. You can't really look down, just out. You won't feel afraid when you get up there, I swear to you."

Jane bit her lip and thought about his words for a moment. Sam was rubbing the pad of his thumb against the back of her hand, encouraging her to comply. She sighed deeply and nodded. "Okay. Let's do it then."

Sam gave her a quick hug. "Wonderful! I promise you won't regret it. And if you get too uncomfortable, we can come right back down."

They got their tickets scanned and then they went through security and bag check before they took a short elevator ride up to a museum type area where you could learn the history of the building and find out more about its structure. At the end of that area, they got into the line for the elevator that would take them up to the 86th floor observatory.

When they were in the elevator, Sam put his arm protectively around Jane's shoulder. "Watch how quickly the elevator goes up," Sam said, pointing to the digital counter that told them which floor they were currently on. It was actually going up by multiples of 10. Jane buried her face into Sam's shoulder until the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. They were let out into a room that had huge windows that allowed you to look out over whole island of Manhattan. Jane had to admit that the view was incredible.

Sam walked Jane over to the window. "It's great, isn't it?"

Jane was truly astonished. "It's nothing short of amazing. I'm in awe."

Sam smiled as he saw her relaxing and coming back around from her frightened self. "Want to walk outside? It's even more unbelievable from out there." Jane simply nodded.

They pushed the door opened and were met with a gust of cool and seemingly fresh air. It took their breath away and they were both left speechless. Jane slowly walked over to the edge of the wall and placed her hands on it, looking toward the southern part of Manhattan. Sam walked up behind her and made his presence known by pressing himself against her back and placing his hands near hers on the top of the cement wall. The new contact made Jane draw a sharp breath.

When Sam spoke, Jane could feel the vibration of his words close to her ear and it made chills run up and down her spine and arms. "See that land over there across the Hudson River?" he asked, pointing to the right. Jane only nodded. "That's New Jersey. And that," he said, pointing over to the left, "on the other side of the East River, is part of Long Island… Brooklyn and Queens are over that way." Jane leaned back slightly into his chest as he pointed to the Statue of Liberty, which looked like a little ant from where they were.

"C'mon, I want to show you something," Sam said. He grabbed Jane's hand and walked around to the other side of the observatory so that they were then looking out at the northern part of the city.

"Oh, is that Central Park, Sam?" Jane asked, trying to take in every part of the view.

Sam nodded, and then walked over to one of the coin-operated binocular machines that were all over the observation deck and put in a few quarters to make it work. He adjusted the view and motioned for Jane to come over and look into it.

"See that tall brown building that it's zoomed in on?" he asked as Jane nodded. "That's your hotel."

Jane giggled. "Oh, it looks much more impressive from the inside."

Sam laughed at her. "I agree. Now let me show you something else," he said before Jane moved out of the way and let him adjust the binoculars again. "Okay. Look at this," he said as she moved her face to the binoculars again. "That big grey building is my apartment building. I live at the very top of it."

"Very fancy, Mr. Carmichael," she said with a funny accent.

Sam laughed at her, always pulling out her sense of humor at the best times. He pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek and she turned to look at him. "Let's take more pictures," she suggested as she took her phone out of her purse. Like the night before, Sam took Jane's phone and snapped a few pictures of them together with the view in the background. They walked around the observatory deck once more and Sam pointed out a few more buildings, like the Chrysler Building and the Freedom Tower before he felt his stomach grumbling.

"Ready for lunch?" he asked.

Jane looked out at the city one last time, as if trying to decide whether or not she wanted to part with it. "Yeah. Let's go," she said with a sweet smile.

Sam picked out a cozy Italian restaurant called _Paesano _in New York's Little Italy for lunch. It was an attractive little hole-in-the-wall type place that was dimly lit and made you feel like you were in the heart of Italy. Jane ordered a fresh salad topped with the restaurant's specialty oil and vinegar dressing, and Sam ordered a Panini. They each drank a glass of wine and then switched to water, not wanting to drink too much at lunchtime. They held hands across the table, and Sam would run his thumb along the back of Jane's hand every so often to let her know that he appreciated the contact. Jane told him stories about her crazy friends, causing the nearly empty restaurant to become filled with their laughter.

When they were finished with their lunch, they strolled out into the streets of Little Italy and walked toward Chinatown, passing all of the little shops and food stands. "So, what time are you meeting the kids for dinner?" Sam asked.

"6 o'clock, I think," she replied with a sigh.

"Good, that gives us enough time."

Jane looked at him with a raised brow. "Enough time for what, Carmichael?"

"You'll see. I'll explain on the way," he said as he hailed a taxi.

Sam told the driver to take them to 7th and 44th and then turned to face his gorgeous date. "Have you ever seen a show on Broadway?"

Jane thought about it. "No, I've never seen a live show, but I listen to the music. I love it."

Sam smirked. "And if you had to pick one show to see, which would you pick?"

"Hmmm," she pondered. "I don't know… something old and iconic, I suppose."

"Liiiiiike _The Phantom of the Opera_?" Sam suggested.

Jane's eyes lit up at the mention of one of her favorite shows. "Yes! I adore _Phantom_… the music, I mean. I've never seen it, unless you count the 1925 silent film version."

Sam laughed. "I've seen it live three times."

Jane's jaw dropped. "What? I'm so jealous! Was it wonderful?"

Sam couldn't help but laugh at how excited she was. "Why don't you wait and see for yourself?"

Jane tilted her head slightly to the side. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"If you think it means that we're on the way to the Majestic Theater to see Broadway's longest running musical, then it is exactly what you think it means. I have two tickets to the matinee, darling," Sam said.

Jane gasped then threw arms around Sam before placing a series of quick pecks on his lips and cheeks. "You're so wonderful, Sam. Seriously. I can't believe it."

Sam laughed and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he'd correctly picked all of their activities for the day – especially this one. "I would love to do something where we could talk, but I really wanted to take you to see this show. Nothing affects you quite like a Broadway show and I wanted to let you experience it before you leave," he explained.

"No, it's perfect."

The taxi took them as close to the theater as possible, but when traffic looked really bad up ahead, the pair decided that it would just be better to get out and walk the rest of the way. They waited outside the theater in line for a while until the doors were opened. They pushed through the crowd to get to their seats which were in the front row of the balcony. Jane was immediately excited by the props for the first scene, including the chandelier, sitting on the stage waiting to come to life. Sam explained that he got tickets for the balcony because he thought that they were the best seats in the house and even seats near the orchestra couldn't beat the balcony. They chatted amongst themselves as they waited for the show to start. Finally, the lights dimmed and the orchestra began playing the Entr'acte. Jane was on the edge of her seat for the entire show, watching everything with intensity. Sam was enjoying watching her reactions to different things in the show. By the end of the first act, Jane was sat still and quiet with tears streaming gently over her prominent cheek bones. Hearing the pain or rejection and betrayal sear through the Phantom's voice evoked emotions that she wasn't even aware that she had.

When the curtain closed for intermission, Jane clapped ferociously and then discreetly wiped her tears. When she looked over at Sam, he had a soft smile on his lips. "What are you grinning at?'" she asked with a giggle, already knowing the answer to that question.

Sam draped his arm over her shoulder and she leaned into him a bit. "You're crying. It's admirable – and very cute."

Jane laughed and turned her head up to look at him and he captured her lips in a lingering kiss that took her breath away for a moment. "Well, I'm glad that you think that my misery and emotion is 'cute', jerk," she said sarcastically, turning her head away.

Sam snickered then grabbed her chin and turned her face back toward his. "You know what I meant, gorgeous," he mumbled against her lips before kissing her again.

When the kiss broke, "I know what you mean. And you're pretty cute too, you know that?" she said, rubbing the tip of her nose against Sam's.

He laughed as they parted their rather intimate public display of affection. "Believe me, babe. I know I'm cute," he said feigning arrogance. Jane just chuckled and slapped him playfully across his chest.

Shortly after, the lights dimmed again and the second act began. The second act was much more emotional and passionate than the first, leaving Jane in a puddle by the time Christine left the Phantom's lair. She was literally blubbering as the Phantom sang his last line, and the curtain closed. _"It's over now, the music of the night…"_ She couldn't even stand up at the end to give the performers an ovation because her legs were shaking, so she just clapped and clapped until she couldn't anymore.

Sam and Jane were the last to exit the theater, never wanting to leave that experience behind. Jane stayed fairly quiet as they walked a few blocks and then tried to hail a taxi.

"Jane, where are you going now? Back to the hotel or are you meeting your kids somewhere?" Sam asked, so he could tell the driver where to go.

She snapped out of her daze. "Oh, uh… back to the hotel. We're all meeting there and then riding to the restaurant together."

He told the driver to take them to the Park Regent and then turned his attention back to Jane. "Are you alright, sweetheart? You haven't said much lately."

Jane shrugged. "I guess so… I'm just still thinking about _Phantom_. I've never been affected like that by anything before. I'm also thinking about how our perfect day is coming to an end and I'm going to be leaving you very soon," she explained with a frown.

Sam took her hand in his. "Everything's going to be alright, darling. I'm still taking you to the airport tonight, so we have that to look forward to. And I'm going to miss you a lot, but we'll see each other again very soon. I can fly out to see you and then you can show me around your corner of the world. And you can introduce me to your children and feed me some of that fabulous food that you make at your bakery. Okay?"

That made a smile come to her face. "Okay. That sounds wonderful. And I'll text you tonight after I finish dinner with the kids and then you can meet me at the hotel." Sam nodded, playing with her hair.

Sam pressed a quick kiss to Jane's lips before she climbed out of the cab when they reached the hotel, and then he went to his apartment to freshen up and return some calls that he had missed while he was out for the day. Meanwhile, Jane was at a laid-back, upscale restaurant with her children and Harley. They had already made plans to go out for drinks after dinner, and they were rambling endlessly about everything that they had done that day. Jane had also figured out, from their chatter, that Jake, Agnes, and Pedro had flown back to California on an early flight that morning. She silently thanked God for that, glad that there was no chance of her seeing him when she went back to the hotel, or worse – on her flight back home. When Gabby asked Jane about what she had done all day, Jane tried to play it off like she had just gone shopping and grabbed a late lunch, not ready to tell her children about the man that she had met a few days prior that was steadily trying to sweep her off of her feet… and that she was quickly falling for.

After they finished, Jane walked out of the restaurant with her children and they all hugged her and told her goodbye, knowing that she was about to fly home, and telling her that they were all going to fly back the day after tomorrow. They walked a few blocks to a club while she grabbed a cab to head back to her hotel to finish packing and check out. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and found Sam's name in her contacts, pressing the call button.

Sam smiled when he heard his phone ringing in his pocket and was pleased to see that it was Jane. "Hey, finished with dinner already?"

A smile curled on Jane's lips at the sound of his voice on the other end of the phone. "Yep. The kids couldn't wait to get out of there and hit the bars," she said with a sigh. "Bless their hearts."

Sam chuckled. "Are you back at the hotel yet?"

"No, I'm in a cab on the way back. But if you want to, you could come over here early and talk to me while I finish packing," she said in a sweet, convincing voice.

"Good idea, Ms. Adler. I'll be over soon. Which room are you in?"

"Room 816. See you soon, handsome," she flirted.

"816," he repeated. "Okay. See you in a second, doll."

When Jane made it up to her room, she found that she actually had very little to pack – just the stuff in the bathroom, a few dresses from the closet, and her makeup and hair products that were laying on the vanity table. She heard a knock on her door about 15 minutes after she arrived, and smiled knowing it was Sam. When she flung the door opened, he was standing there with a single red rose in his hand.

Jane took the rose from him and stuck it to her nose. "Always trying to charm, aren't you, Sam?"

He shrugged and stepped into Jane's room. "Pretty ladies deserve pretty flowers."

"Well, I appreciate it. It's lovely," she said, closing the door behind them and watching Sam walk over to the couch.

"I would have bought you a whole dozen, but I knew you wouldn't be able to take them on the plane with you, so I had to settle," he explained with a chuckle.

Jane placed the rose gently on the vanity table and went back to her closet to pull the rest of her clothes out of it and into her suitcase. "I actually don't have a lot to pack – I'll be done in a minute. You can get some wine out of the refrigerator and we can have a drink if you want."

When Jane was done packing, she still had a little time before she had to leave for the airport, so she sat down on the couch and had drinks with Sam. She rested her head on Sam's shoulder, her hand holding onto the bend in his arm. "Today was perfect, Sam Carmichael. I never got the chance to thank you earlier, but you have no idea how much fun I had with you today. Thank you – a million times."

"You are very welcome. I was thankful for another day that I got to spend with you," he said, leaning his head over to rest on top of Jane's that was on his shoulder. "Are you in love with New York yet?" he asked, remembering his bet from the day before.

Jane giggled and raised her head to look at him. "I think I might just be in love with your city, Carmichael. Congratulations, you succeeded."

Sam pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "It doesn't take much."

They sat quiet for a few seconds and Jane reflected on the past few days. "Sam, do you realize how crazy this is?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "How crazy what is?"

"The fact that I met you like two days ago in a hotel bar and now I'm honestly so sad to have to leave you and go back home. The fact that I feel like I've known for years… the fact that I'm so comfortable in your company… and the fact that I can't get enough of your kisses," she added, laughing when he attacked her with his lips.

"I know it's crazy, but doesn't it just feel kind of right?" he asked, running his index finger along her jawline.

Jane took a deep breath. "It feels very right. That's what scares me."

"This is one of your first attempts at a relationship since your divorce… it's okay to be a little scared, but you don't have to be, you know. You deserve to be happy and have fun."

Jane sighed and leaned into him again. "I know. I'm trying to learn that. I'll get the hang of it eventually."

Sam and Jane talked things over for another half hour and then Jane decided that it was time for them to head over to the airport. She had a car waiting to take them to JFK International, and Sam helped the driver load her bags in. It took about a half hour to get to the airport, and the whole time, Sam held Jane close to his warm body and stroked her honey blonde hair as she talked about anything that came to her mind. He was truly going to miss her company. She'd come in and out of his life so quickly and unexpectedly that it was hard for him to even wrap his head around what he was feeling for this woman, but if he was willing to stay in contact with her when she lived on the other side of the country and make plans to fly out and see her, then it had to be something serious, right?

Sam carried Jane's bags into the airport and stood with her as she checked in and sent her things to baggage. Her flight was beginning to board, meaning that she didn't have much time left. She turned to Sam with a somber smile on her face. It was time for goodbye.

"I guess this is it, Carmichael," she said with a shrug.

Sam cupped her cheek in his hand and gave her one of his beaming smiles. "Don't be sad, darling. You'll be seeing me again very soon. Don't forget to text and call often. You'll be three hours behind New York over in California, but call me any time. Day or night, I won't mind."

Jane chuckled. "I'll be sure to call you during daylight hours, darling. No one likes getting woken up by the telephone."

Sam wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer. "I'd be thrilled to receive a mid-night call from you, beauty," he said, kissing her tenderly.

She responded with a throaty laugh. "Yeah, we'll see how thrilled you are when I call you at 2 a.m."

Jane was leaning up for another kiss when she heard he flight being called over the intercom. She sighed deeply and threw her arms around Sam's neck. "I have to go, Mr. Handsome. I'm going to miss you."

Sam placed a hand on the side of Jane's neck and pressed his plump lips to hers, capturing their parting moments in a searing kiss. Jane felt that kiss in every part of her body from her head to her toes. She let out the softest of moans and parted her lips slightly and ran the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip, silently begging Sam to give her just a bit more. She felt his lips curl into a little smirk before he gave in and met her tongue with his own, feeding their passions as he felt Jane's body relax in his arms. One thing was for sure, they had wild chemistry.

When they finally parted for air, Sam rested his forehead against Jane's. "I'm going to miss you too, beauty. I'll see you soon." He placed few more tender kisses on her lips and then watched as she gave him one last feeble smile and then walked away.


End file.
